Brake cylinders of this type are used, inter alia, in rail vehicles. There, they are frequently used to actuate a brake caliper, with the aid of which brake linings are pressed onto a brake disk. Here, the piston stroke is to always be approximately equally great, independently of the wear of the brake linings. For this purpose, an adjusting device is usually provided which has a spindle which is guided in a piston tube and an adjusting nut. During the normal braking operation, the adjusting nut is blocked in such a way that only a linear movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the brake cylinder is permitted, but not a rotational movement. A rotation of the adjusting nut may only be permitted for the adjusting operation when a certain wear of the brake linings has taken place. In order to control the rotational movement of the adjusting nut, what is known as a control sleeve is used which is arranged within the piston tube such that it can be displaced on the spindle.
A toothing system which can engage into a corresponding toothing system of the adjusting nut is usually provided on that side of the control sleeve which faces the adjusting nut. Since the control sleeve has to absorb high loadings, it is produced nowadays from a heavy metal continuous casting. Although this material ensures a high strength which is sufficient for this use, it permits only a relatively rough formation of the toothing system. This factor greatly limits the accuracy during the adjustment of the brake cylinder.